Cleaning Trivia with Stratus Building Solutions

What do YOU think?

Answer: They're ALL correct!

The amount of time a disinfectant should sit on a surface before being wiped up is dependent upon how strong the solution is.

Green Cleaning is Always in Style

Some types of cleaning come and go, but sustainable cleaning is the wave of the future. Every product and process used to clean your home or facility has the potential to be greenified. Follow us our green cleaning tips that everyone can use at @StratusCleaning on Twitter.

Five Second Rule: Friend or Foe?

Whether you live your life by it or don't believe it at all, there is now an answer regarding what has become widely accepted as the "5 Second Rule," a notion that supports that food is still clean as long as it has not exceeded five seconds on the ground.

Not true. And now we (or a Loyola expert, rather) can.

This is a "No!"

Infection Today released a report stating:

“A dropped item is immediately contaminated and can’t really be sanitized,” says Jorge Parada, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA, medical director of the infection prevention and control program at Loyola University Health System. “When it comes to folklore, the ‘five-second rule’ should be replaced with ‘when in doubt, throw it out’.”

All items that come into contact with a surface pick up bacteria (and dirt!). How much bacteria and what kind of microbes depends on the object dropped and the surface it is dropped upon, he says.

“In the same time period, a rock candy is less likely to pick up contamination than a slice of cheese. As an extreme example, whether it’s a rock candy or a slice of cheese, I dion’t think anyone would invoke the five-second rule if it fell in the toilet,” said the professor at Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine. “At the end of the day, this is a polite social fiction we employee to allow us to eat lightly contaminated foods,” Parada says.

Click to read the whole article and find out how they address the claim you can improve your immune system through exposure.

Best Time to Clean

A little bit of humor shared by Stratus Building Solutions.

What is Sick Building Syndrome?

Yes, this is real, folks. The National Safety Council reports on the the definition of Sick Building Syndrome on their website.

To learn more about Sick Building Syndrome from the National Safety Council, please visit this link.
To learn how Stratus Building Solutions can help prevent Sick Building Syndrome, visit this link.

How Do You Measure Clean? With an ATP Meter

Image from CMM Online

It's obvious when there's a pile of trash one day and it's gone the next. It's obvious when a dirty, scuffed floor is buffed and polished. But a lot of the cleaning we do is unseen. "Cleaning for Health" takes cleaning up the biological contamination in addition to the more visible debris.

Facility Manager and Facility Service Providers in past had to trust they had a clean building, but Facility Managers and Providers today can physically measure the level of cleanliness with scientific evaluation.

Introducing the ATP Measurement System.

Tip: Make sure to store your wands in the refrigerator.
They must be kept at 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit.

Regardless of the facility type or surface tested, the ATP meter detects the level of microbial contamination in just seconds. The meter measures Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the universal energy molecule found in all animal, plant, bacterial, yeast and mold cells. When a facility is cleaned with Stratus Green Clean products, the ATP is significantly reduced.

With a simple swab and a snap to release the sample into a unique liquid stable luciferase/luciferin reagent, the stick is inserted into the ATP meter device. It is here where light is used to determine the amount of ATP present. A high reading demonstrates high contamination.

ATP samples can be a great way to document the level of cleanliness your Facility Service Provider is offering your facility. Go ahead and ask for a demonstration today!

Stratus Building Solutions Suggests Recycling Craft Projects

Here at Stratus Building Solutions, we have a huge focus on living a "green" lifestyle. With that comes recycling, but not just the "paper goes here, glass goes here" kind of recycling. We'll show you how to have some fun with recycling, too.

Check out our Recycling Projects & Crafting board on Pinterest for ideas on how to reuse common materials. We're always adding new ideas, too.

Let us know when you make something - and share any recycling crafts you might know of!

Happy Crafting,
Stratus

Your Messy Desk Affects Your Professional Reputation

 

Adecco performed a recent survey that had some interesting findings.... some things to pay attention to if you work in an office with other people.

Bottom line: How you keep your desk influences what other people think of you.

Adecco found out:

-- 57 percent of Americans have judged coworkers on how clean or dirty they keep their work spaces
-- 42 percent of Americans have judged a coworker more negatively if his workspace is dirty
-- 45 percent have judged coworkers more positively if their work spaces are clean
-- 42 percent of Americans think a dirty work space is a result of employees simply being too busy, but
-- 33 percent think messy employees are lazy employees
-- 73 percent of Americans think people are most productive when their work spaces are clean

Despite what your coworkers think, your boss can have these misinterpretations, as well. Don't be judged by your stuff, keep a tidy workspace and be judged on your abilities instead.

Stratus Shows You Clean

Jared Thomas of the Salt Lake City office demonstrated how dirty a prospective customer's floors were by using the Stratus Green Miracle Pad to put his initials on it.

He said they were so dirty it even took HIM by surprise!

Let us know if your facility needs this kind of treatment. 877-731-2020

Stratus Building Solutions of Minneapolis: Open & Ready to Clean

Now available in Minneapolis - professional commercial facility services by Stratus Building Solutions!

Stratus Building Solutions of Minneapolis will operate from headquarters at 7900 International Drive, Bloomington, MN 55425 and be available at (888) 609-8244.

Mr. Spellacy states, “We are very proud to introduce Stratus Building Solution’s premier commercial cleaning service to the Minneapolis market.  Our customers should expect quality, reliability and value from our experienced staff.  They will enjoy the same impeccable service that we provide our business and institutional customers in Indianapolis.”

John McDonald will serve as Regional Director for Minnesota and has over 25 years of facility service experience. He also has experience in Operations and Sales. Lorena Aristizabal has over two years of Franchise Development experience and will act as Franchise Support.

“People want quality service and support, especially in these tough economic times,” continues Spellacy. “We have provided excellence in facility services for our current customers and will provide the same level of excellence for our customers in Minneapolis.  We look forward to the opportunity to serve the community.”

Read more here.  

Small Businesses Embrace Green

This infographic by Office Depot does a great job at showing the "greening" of small businesses.

What steps are you taking to go green?

Save Water: How To Tell If You Have a Leak

Don't be a drip - fix that leak!

Leaky faucets can waste thousands of gallons of water each year, like money down the drain. Repair or replace old or damaged fixtures. If you're not sure you have a leak, check the water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.

From the EPA: Learn more about Water Sense, an EPA Partnership program.

How "Green" Affects Your Purchasing Decision

Consumers need a lot of help understanding green claims. Nearly three-fourths said they’d like companies to provide more information on the packaging to help them make product decisions. And 71 percent said they need help better understanding the environmental terms companies use to describe their products and services. It's important that both the seller and the buyer understand the terms being discussed.

What marketing messages make a difference in influencing customers to buy green? Consumers want facts and details. Symbols or certifications were cited by 80 percent, and specific data or outcomes by 80 percent. Seventy-three percent said general environmental statements, such as “uses less water,” influenced their decisions. Stratus Building Solutions can provide all of these.

Understandably, the economic crisis of the last few years has had an effect on consumers’ commitment to purchasing green. Although 69 percent of American consumers routinely or sometimes consider the environment when making a purchasing decision, 42 percent say they have been discouraged from buying a green product because they believed it cost more than the traditional product. Here are some other reasons consumers don’t buy green:

• 42 percent say they believe the product is of lesser quality than the traditional version
• 27 percent say they didn’t trust the environmental claim on the product
• 23 percent say the product was difficult to find
• 16 percent say the product design was unattractive

What else motivates environmentally friendly purchases? Aspirational reasons are big drivers: Eighty-eight percent say they are inspired to buy environmental products because it’s healthier for themselves, their families or their communities; 85 percent say they want to preserve the environment for future generations. Still, the biggest motivator overall is money: 90 percent say they buy an environmental product because it will save them time or money in the long run.

From Network Solutions - read more here.

Why to Professionally Clean Your Facility

The IASQ asks what is the name for  microbes which have become resistant to
common forms of treatments or cleanings? Can you figure it out?

A History of Green

Did you know the 1st recycling efforts were documented in 400 BC? Yet Earth Day isn't founded until 1970. Learn more about green throughout the ages here.

How to Recycle in an Office

The tips are designed to help office facilities develop more effective and comprehensive recycling initiatives. With a solid recycling program, companies can reduce their carbon footprint while also saving money.

“Now we want to focus on making recycling easy and consistent,” says Doug Berjer, product manager for CFR. “Many times, office recycling programs fall apart simply because staffers find them difficult to follow or easy to forget.”

Because of this, one of Berjer’s first suggestions is to place recycling bins at every desk and workstation so that they are readily available and visible.

“And [at desks] place the recycling bin just a bit closer to them than the trash can,” he adds. “You’d be surprised how much this can improve recycling behavior.”

He also suggests organizing the recycling program around the specific items to be recycled, especially in those areas that generate the most trash.  For instance, a warehouse area may have a variety of recyclables: boxes, packaging materials, bottles, cans, plastics, metals, old equipment, and more.

“Install separate recycling containers for each recyclable item,” Berjer says. “Make each container easily identifiable with clear signage indicating what goes where. This can also help enhance recycling significantly.”

Finally, Berjer suggests that it is important to encourage staffers to recycle with consistent communication.

“Make sure every worker is aware of the [recycling] program in place and its importance. Establish goals and track the progress. As it improves, let everyone know how much they have helped accomplish so far. Consistent feedback leads to consistent compliance.”

The source of these tips, CFR, are manufacturers of continuous recycling carpet extractors.

Happy Spring Clean

Today is the First Day of Spring! Stratus wants to wish all our followers a productive, warm and sunny season.

(What a great time to tackle that Spring Cleaning, too...)

Spring Cleaning Time

It's about that time again... Spring Cleaning!

Did you know that new research 73% of those who spring clean strongly or somewhat agree that it's a tradition worth keeping, but 13% of that same group strongly or somewhat agree that if it wasn't for spring cleaning, they would probably never clean their home!

To get started, clear out your areas, inventory supplies, plan your attack and recruit some help. You'll be clean in no time - without losing your mind!

Go Green for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is a day known for all things green.

Stratus wants to give you some other ways to go green this year.

How about taking your bike instead of a car now that it's getting warmer?

Growing your own veggies and herbs will earn you green points, too.

And with the holiday being over a weekend day, change out your florescent light bulbs to LED light bulbs.  

To learn more ways to go green, check out this Go Green for St. Paddy's Day Guide. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

How to Stay Healthy

Do you have Traylor's mother in your office? Let's hope Dilbert doesn't get sick!

Hand washing is one of the healthiest things we can do for ourselves.

The Center for Disease Control says to correctly wash your hands you need to follow these steps:

• Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
• Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
• Rinse your hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Learn more about hand washing here.